Some Answered Questions

Part Four -- On the Origin, Powers and Conditions of Man

64. THE STATE OF MAN AND HIS PROGRESS AFTER DEATH

When we consider beings with the seeing eye, we observe
that they are limited to three sorts--that is to say, as a
whole they are either mineral, vegetable or animal, each of
these three classes containing species. Man is the highest
species because he is the possessor of the perfections of all
the classes--that is, he has a body which grows and which
feels. As well as having the perfections of the mineral, of
the vegetable and of the animal, he also possesses an especial
excellence which the other beings are without--that
is, the intellectual perfections. Therefore, man is the most
noble of beings.

Man is in the highest degree of materiality, and at the
beginning of spirituality--that is to say, he is the end of
imperfection and the beginning of perfection. He is at the
last degree of darkness, and at the beginning of light; that
is why it has been said that the condition of man is the end
of the night and the beginning of day, meaning that he is
the sum of all the degrees of imperfection, and that he possesses
the degrees of perfection. He has the animal side as
well as the angelic side, and the aim of an educator is to so
train human souls that their angelic aspect may overcome
their animal side. Then if the divine power in man, which
is his essential perfection, overcomes the satanic power,
which is absolute imperfection, he becomes the most excellent
among the creatures; but if the satanic power overcomes
the divine power, he becomes the lowest of the
creatures. That is why he is the end of imperfection and
the beginning of perfection. Not in any other of the species
in the world of existence is there such a difference,
contrast, contradiction and opposition as in the species of
man. Thus the reflection of the Divine Light was in man,
as in Christ, and see how loved and honored He is! At the
same time we see man worshiping a stone, a clod of earth
or a tree. How vile he is, in that his object of worship
should be the lowest existence--that is, a stone or clay,
without spirit; a mountain, a forest or a tree. What shame
is greater for man than to worship the lowest existences?
In the same way, knowledge is a quality of man, and so is
ignorance; truthfulness is a quality of man; so is falsehood;
trustworthiness and treachery, justice and injustice, are
qualities of man, and so forth. Briefly, all the perfections
and virtues, and all the vices, are qualities of man.

Consider equally the differences between individual
men. The Christ was in the form of man, and Caiaphas
was in the form of man; Moses and Pharaoh, Abel and
Cain, Bahá'u'lláh and Yahyá, [Mírzá Yahyá Subh-i-Azal, half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh, and His irreconcilable enemy.] were men.

Man is said to be the greatest representative of God, and
he is the Book of Creation because all the mysteries of beings
exist in him. If he comes under the shadow of the
True Educator and is rightly trained, he becomes the essence
of essences, the light of lights, the spirit of spirits; he
becomes the center of the divine appearances, the source
of spiritual qualities, the rising-place of heavenly lights,
and the receptacle of divine inspirations. If he is deprived
of this education, he becomes the manifestation of satanic
qualities, the sum of animal vices, and the source of all
dark conditions.

The reason of the mission of the Prophets is to educate
men, so that this piece of coal may become a diamond, and
this fruitless tree may be engrafted and yield the sweetest,
most delicious fruits. When man reaches the noblest state
in the world of humanity, then he can make further progress
in the conditions of perfection, but not in state; for
such states are limited, but the divine perfections are endless.

Both before and after putting off this material form,
there is progress in perfection but not in state. So beings
are consummated in perfect man. There is no other being
higher than a perfect man. But man when he has reached
this state can still make progress in perfections but not in
state because there is no state higher than that of a perfect
man to which he can transfer himself. He only progresses
in the state of humanity, for the human perfections are infinite.
Thus, however learned a man may be, we can
imagine one more learned.

Hence, as the perfections of humanity are endless, man
can also make progress in perfections after leaving this
world.

Some Answered Questions
Part Four -- On the Origin, Powers and Conditions of Manpages 235-238